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At least 50 killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Yemen

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Update: 2018-08-10 02:12:39
At least 50 killed in Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Yemen Photo: collected

An airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen on Thursday morning killed at least 50 people including dozens of children traveling on a bus in the country’s Saada Province, local health officials said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said its medical teams received the bodies of 29 children, all under the age of 15. They also received 48 injured people, including 30 children, the ICRC said.

Yemen’s rebel-run Al Masirah TV aired footage of injured children weeping as blood streamed down their faces. Some of the children carried blue UNICEF backpacks, spotted with blood.

Col Turki al-Malki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which has the backing of the U.S. government, said the coalition had launched an operation in Saada in response to Houthi fighters firing a missile on the Saudi city of Jizan on Wednesday evening.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the Saudi-led coalition had showed no regard for civilian lives by targeting a school bus in a crowded public space.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Thursday called on the Saudi-led coalition to "conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident," and for all parties to protect civilians in accordance with international law.

Lt Cmdr Rebecca Rebarich, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in a statement that U.S. Central Command was not involved in the airstrike in Saada.

"US military support to our partners mitigates noncombatant casualties, by improving coalition processes and procedures, especially regarding compliance with the law of armed conflict and best practices for reducing the risk of civilian casualties," she said.

Save the Children’s staff on the ground in Saada said the children were on their way back to school from a picnic when the attack happened.

Source: ABC News

BDST: 1211 HRS, AUG 10, 2018
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